Tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles a huge blow for European economy 

It is a huge blow for the European economy and for the automotive industry in Germany that the European Commission is set to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on the social media platform X on Saturday. 

In the Prime Minister’s words, Germany and European industry can no longer convince the Commission to be reasonable. “But then, who can?” Mr Orbán asked.

On Friday, the European Commission announced that the majority of the Member States of the European Union had voted for the proposal on the imposition of countervailing tariffs. In parallel, the Commission is continuing negotiations with China in order to explore an alternative solution that is fully compatible with the regulations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Commission reasoned, justifying the imposition of tariffs, that the state subsidisation of Chinese electric vehicles gives Chinese companies an unfair advantage, and this could cause manufacturers in the EU to sustain economic losses. 

On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that Hungary would not vote for the proposal.